The learned Elders fat appall'd, amaz’d;
And each with mutual Look on other gaz'd.
Nor Speech They meditate, nor Answer frame:
Too plain, alas! their Silence fpake their Shame:
'Till One, in whom an outward Mien appear'd,
And Turn fuperior to the vulgar Herd,
Began; that Human Learning's furtheft Reach
Was but to note the Doctrines I could teach;
That Mine to Speak, and Their's was to Obey:
For I in Knowledge more, than Pow'r did fway;
And the aftonifh'd World in Me beheld
Moses eclips'd, and JESSE's Son excell'd.
Humble a Second bow'd, and took the Word;
Forefaw my Name by future Age ador'd.
O Live, faid He, Thou Wifeft of the Wife!
As None has equall'd, None fhall ever rife
Excelling Thee
Parent of wicked, Bane of honeft Deeds,
Pernicious Flatt'ry! Thy malignant Seeds
In an ill Hour, and by a fatal Hand
Sadly diffus'd o'er Virtue's Gleby Land,
With rifing Pride amidst the Corn appear,
And choak the Hopes and Harveft of the Year.
And now the whole perplex'd ignoble Crowd Mute to my Questions, in my Praises loud, Echo'd the Word: whence Things arose, or how They thus exist, the Apteft nothing know:
What yet is not, but is ordain'd to be,
All Veil of Doubt apart, the Dullest fee.
My Prophets, and my Sophifts finish'd here
Their Civil Efforts of the Verbal War:
Not fo my Rabbins, and Logicians yield:
Retiring ftill they combat: from the Field
Of open Arms unwilling they depart,
And fculk behind the Subterfuge of Art.
To speak one Thing mix'd Dialects they join;
Divide the Simple, and the Plain define 1
Fix fancy'd Laws, and form imagin'd Rules,
Terms of their Art, and Jargon of their Schools,
Ill grounded Maxims by false Gloss enlarg'd,
And captious Science againft Reafon charg'd.
Soon their crude Notions with each other fought: The adverse Sect deny'd, what This had taught; And He at length the ampleft Triumph gain'd, Who contradicted what the laft maintain'd.
O wretched Impotence of human Mind!
We erring ftill Excufe for Error find;
And darkling grope, not knowing We are blind.
Vain Man! since first thy bloshing Sire effay'd His Folly with connected Leaves to fhade; How does the Crime of thy refembling Race With like Attempt that pristine Error trace?
Too plain thy Nakedness of Soul efpy'd,
Why doft Thou ftrive the conscious Shame to hide
By Masks of Eloquence, and Veils of Pride?
With outward Smiles their Flatt'ry I receiv'd;
Own'd my Sick Mind by their Difcourfe reliev'd;
But bent and inward to my Self again
Perplex'd, these Matters I revolv'd; in vain.
My Search still tir'd, my Labor still renew'd,
At length I Ignorance, and Knowledge view'd,
Impartial; Both in equal Balance laid:
Light flew the knowing Scale; the doubtful Heavy weigh'd.
Forc'd by reflective Reason I confess,
That human Science is uncertain Guefs.
Alas! We grafp at Clouds, and beat the Air,
Vexing that Spirit We intend to clear.
Can Thought beyond the Bounds of Matter climb ?
Or who fhall tell Me, what is Space or Time?
In vain We lift up our presumptuous Eyes
To what our Maker to their Ken denies:
The Searcher follows faft; the Object fafter flies.
The little which imperfectly We find,
Seduces only the bewilder'd Mind
To fruitless Search of Something yet behind.
Various Difcuffions tear our heated Brain::
Opinions often turn; ftill Doubts remain;
And who indulges Thought, increases Pain.
How narrow Limits were to Wisdom giv'n?
Earth She surveys: She thence would measure Heav'n:
Thro' Mifts obfcure, now wings her tedious Way;
Now wanders dazl'd with too bright a Day;
And from the Summit of a pathless Coast
Sees INFINITE, and in that Sight is lost.
Remember, that the curs'd Defire to know,
Off-spring of ADAM, was thy Source of Woe.
Why wilt Thou then renew the vain Purfuit,
And rafhly catch at the forbidden Fruit?
With empty Labor and eluded Strife
Seeking, by Knowledge, to attain to Life;
For ever from that fatal Tree debarr'd,
Which flaming Swords and angry CHERUBS guard.
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